The Chicago Bulls don’t believe in magic and will proceed to neutralize anything Orlando will throw at them on Monday. At least, that’s what the NBA betting lines expect with the home team favored by 4½ points and a total of around 225 points.
Totals have typically gone under when these franchises meet: 15 of their last 20 games, in fact. A few pointers indicate this could be more of the same.
Let’s check the latest NBA news, stats, injury report and NBA lines for the Magic vs Bulls. We’ve got plenty of NBA picks for you to consider.
Banchero Needs Some Magic
Paolo Banchero should be the favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. But he’s currently stuck in one of his worst stretches yet. The Magic’s first overall draft pick is shooting just 33.3 percent from the field with a miserable 13.9 percent from deep (5 of 36).
He’s still contributing widely with 16.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and three assists, but the poor efficiency limits Orlando’s offense. Orlando is already 29th in the NBA in offensive rating as a visitor (108.4) so it gets uglier for the team. Fortunately, the Magic actually play defense. It’s how the team managed to go 4-5 during this ice-cold stretch from Banchero.
Since Dec. 7, the Magic have the eighth-best defensive rating in the NBA at 113.2. The team has an 18-14 record since and even owns a pair of wins over Boston, holding the NBA’s best team to under 100 points on both occasions. This young team is flashing its potential and can continue being a sharp bet online, especially when its offense picks up.
Bulls Stay Put
Chicago Bulls fans were not happy their team chose to do nothing during the NBA trade deadline. Again. This is not a contender that occupies an unenviable position as barely being a playoff team or a future Victor Wembanyama landing spot. Still, Chicago does good work as a pick on the sportsbook.
Chicago covers 57.7 percent of its home games (15-11-1), and as a favorite, that improves to 60 percent (9-6-0). The Bulls may thrill thanks to the exploits of their backcourt stars in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, but the defense has been their bread-and-butter.
Chicago #Bulls defense keeping them alive I suppose… https://t.co/n2hTo9Mekz
— Michael Walton (@ZenMasterMike) February 10, 2023
It’s why 57.1 percent of this team’s games have gone under (24-32-0) the total. That doesn’t figure to change much as Chicago plays a team that is similar.
Magic vs Bulls Game Injuries
Magic vs Bulls Head-to-Head
Scoring should be low here. The total has gone under in nine of these teams’ last 11 meetings in Chicago as well as six of Orlando’s last seven games. Chicago is 6-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last seven home games.
Magic vs Bulls Game Information
- Game: Magic (23-34) vs Bulls (26-30)
- Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
- Day/Time: Monday, Feb. 13, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Magic vs Bulls Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Magic vs Bulls Betting Lines
Magic vs Bulls Picks and Prediction
These teams are built on defense and play a relatively moderate tempo (13th in pace for Chicago, 20th for Orlando). Even if Chicago or Orlando erupts for 120+, as the Bulls did the last time, the other team could go on a cold-shooting night and drag the total down.
Chicago is listed at -190 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Bulls, you have a chance to win $53. Orlando is +163, offering a chance to win $163 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Chicago a 65.52% chance to win, with the Magic at 38.02%
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
Magic vs Bulls Trends
Magic vs Bulls Edge
Magic vs Bulls Results
Magic vs Bulls Game Summary
Bulls vs Magic Previous Game (Jan. 28, 2023)
The Orlando Magic are underdogs on their court as they take on the Chicago Bulls. The NBA betting lines likely give the Magic points because the team is on the second night of a back-to-back. Orlando just lost a hard-fought game to Miami and will have a shot to get back on the win column as Chicago struggles as a favorite.
As their recent betting trends suggest, the Magic are the better team to back here. Orlando is getting better and its starting lineup can match Chicago’s. More importantly, Orlando rebounds better than Chicago so they can win by securing more possessions. Bet the Magic and even throw them in a parlay for a bigger payday.
